Lebanon board authorizes bids for 20 buses after route changes, cites driver shortage and fuel/maintenance savings

The Lebanon City Schools Board of Education voted Oct. 20 to authorize the SOEP Council to advertise and receive bids for the purchase of 20 school buses, following a superintendent briefing on route restructuring, driver shortages and expected savings.

Superintendent Isaac Sievers said the district reorganized routes to create multi-tiered runs and add van routes for nontraditional placements. “Two years ago we had 71 routes. When we made the shift last year, we went down to 65. This year, we were able to get down even further to 61,” Sievers said, describing added efficiency through three-tier and some four-tier routes.

Savings and costs

Sievers presented district estimates showing fuel and maintenance savings tied to newer buses and the route redesign. “Over the 3 year period, we’ve averaged, you know, $5,556,000 dollars in fuel savings,” he said, and added that maintenance savings over the same period were estimated at about $440,000. He also noted that the purchase price of buses has risen since three years ago and that financing terms are less favorable than before.

Driver shortage and staffing

Sievers and board members described an ongoing shortage of CDL drivers and commuter demands on the role: some drivers must start their day as early as 5 a.m., and routes can feel like “two full‑time schedules” for drivers. The district said it has reduced the number of open routes but remains short a small number of CDL drivers and van drivers; it has used flex drivers and expanded compensation and training reimbursements to recruit and retain staff.

McKinney‑Vento, private transport costs and van routes

Sievers discussed transportation obligations under the McKinney‑Vento Act for homeless students, noting the requirement to transport students to their school of origin even if they reside outside district boundaries, which sometimes requires private transportation at district expense. He described the district’s contract rate for private transport as $60 each way up to eight miles, with additional per-mile charges beyond that.

State bus-safety grant

Board member and legislative committee member Miss Cope noted a new Ohio school bus safety grant program announced by the governor: a $10 million competitive program open Oct. 15–Nov. 14 to help school districts repair, replace or add safety features to buses. She said district staff would investigate whether the district could apply.

Board action

The board approved a resolution authorizing the SOEP Council to advertise and receive bids for 20 buses. The motion passed by roll call (all members voting yes). The superintendent and business department will proceed with the bid process and return with recommendations.

Ending

Sievers said the district will continue to recruit drivers, apply for grants when feasible and present bus-purchase recommendations after the bid window. The board’s vote cleared the path to solicit bids for 20 vehicles and to continue the district’s route-optimization program.